Artist Bikash Chandra Senapati's latest artworks show his life’s goals and the journey that he has travelled so far. Bikash Chandra Senapati always had an interest in art. But he had never imagined to make a career as an artist. However, very early in his life, his teachers recognised his potential. In fact, they persuaded his father to take Bikash to an art school to hone his skills. His teachers’ efforts didn’t go in vain. In class 10, the Odisha-born artist decided to pursue his hobby as a career. To turn his dreams into reality, he studied at SP Government School of Art and Craft in the 11th and 12th standard. Thereafter, he completed his Bachelors in Painting from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad. However, soon after completing his Bachelor’s degree, things did not sailed smoothly. His family’s financial conditioned worsened. Due to which, he was compelled to take a break from studies. “We were facing financial instability at home and that's when I decided to look out for work. But I could not find any job so I started freelancing as an artist for four years between 2013-2017 to support my family and earn livelihood,” he shares. In 2017, the artist decided to pursue Masters. He took a degree in printmaking from Indrakala Sangeet Vishwavidhalaya in Chattisgarh. There he learnt wood cut and etching techniques. The artist now uses these techniques in his artworks. He recently showcased some of the pieces at an art exhibition at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi. The exhibition titled ‘Nirupan’ was his take on nature. His subjects demonstrated inner dualities in interactions between human and nature, subtleties in various aspects of forests, disappearance, mystery and tests of self-identification in a developing urbanity. The artist used geometric shapes, such as circles, triangles, squares and rectangles, along with lines to depict his emotions. Senapati described his recently-concluded artworks as his take on nature. “I observed the nature and tried to present its beauty in my language,” he says. The artist used wood cut, etching, viscosity and lithography (carving on stone) in his artworks. The artist describes the wood cut technique as an impression art. "It involves working in layers. In this, carving is done on a block of wood. I have used a roller and black ink since it is a black and white work and added a paper on the wood. I then pressed the surface with a hard material like a bowl so that the impression comes on the surface of the paper,” he says. One of the artworks, which the artist describes as self-exploration, shows his journey. “I have tried to put myself as the centrepiece in this artwork," he says. The artwork shows his life’s goals and the journey that he has travelled so far in life. "The zigzag lines at the bottom of the artwork shows the ups and downs that I have faced so far. I have tried showing that both highs and lows are part of life that help us achieve our goals. Even if I don’t achieve what I aim for in life, I will reach at some point from where I stand today,” he says with a smile. Though it is unclear where life will take him in the future but looking at his journey, it is certain that he will continue his passion for art despite all odds.

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Imagine entering into a gallery to view an artwork but hear chirping of birds simultaneously. As surreal as it sounds but DAG is providing a one-of-a-kind experience to art enthusiasts in its latest show, Birds of India. The exhibition features paintings of some of the unknown Indian artists through 125 species of birds from across the subcontinent. They were originally commissioned by the East India Company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Dr Giles Tillotson, Senior VP Exhibitions and Publications, DAG, who is also the curator of the show, while describing the exhibition said, “Company paintings as the term means works made by Indian artists, generally towards the end of 18th century and early 19th century working for European patrons, typically members of the European trading companies like the East India Company. It is the coming together of two worlds where artists who have been trained in the very refined techniques of Indian coal paintings were supplied with the materials of English-made paper, turning their focus on to objects in the world.” The gallery has made the entire experience interactive. They have added a QR code to a collection of artworks for visitors to listen to the sounds of birds featured in the exhibition. The paintings depict intricate details of birds - one can see each feather and colours that make birds naturally beautiful. Some of the birds include raptors, game birds and coastal waders along with woodland and forest birds. The birds that have made it to the showcase are Indian roller, black-hooded oriole, Indian grey hornbill, greater coucal, purple swamphen, streaked rosefinch, black redstart, common stonechat, white-rumped shama, and plain prinia, to name a few. The entire showcase is divided into four groups. The most extraordinary ones, i.e., 99 paintings date back to 1800-1804. There is also a 1810 album of birds from north-east India in vivid colours and the Faber album from 1830 wherein the artist’s observations have contributed to the ornithological studies. Besides this, there are the 4 folios by Chuni Lal, an artist from Patna, who is the only one artist that remains identified from the never-seen-before 1835 Edward Inge album. Together these four groups illustrate the development of Company Paintings through a single genre. The show is on display till October 6, 2021, and is open to public at DAG, The Claridges, New Delhi.